Girls who leave school knowing they want a ‘different’ occupation are probably a rare breed. And increasingly these days, they’re opting for careers in male dominated fields. Different, indeed! Gone are the days when careers were strictly divided along gender lines that we were expected to follow, even if we didn’t want to. It was a courageous girl who stuck her neck out and defied those expectations.
My Page 1 Woman was one of these bold teenagers. She knew early on that she was unusual and couldn’t follow the norm. Her work experiences in an engineering department at the age of 14 and then at 16, opened doors into an apprenticeship in the electrical engineering field. ‘I'm a person with strong opinions about what I'm going to do in life and what I don't want to do, and I follow my instinct’, she said.
Meet Jo Corbishley, a smart and incredibly successful Geordie, who made a meteoric rise up the career ladder in a male dominated industry. At 30 years old, she led a team of consultants helping to develop a system for engines in the USA. But what was it that fuelled her success at such a pace? What did she have that many of us find later in our careers? Read on and discover Jo’s secret.
What work do you do?
Joanne Corbishley
Jo: My company is Jo Corbishley Leadership Ltd, which delivers leadership workshops to corporate organisations. I specialise in working with graduates, and leaders seeking support. And I help HR teams discover solutions to organisational problems through developing their people. I set up the company six months ago.
After 25 years in the automotive industry as a project manager, I changed careers, five years ago and started teaching at a college in Workington. Within three months I was promoted to director, in charge of construction, engineering, business, computing and other common STEM subjects. Although I loved the job, I worked long hours and felt unfulfilled. I missed developing people at individual level. In July 2018, I attended Andy Harrington’s workshop which completely changed my life. Six months later I left the college and setup my own business using the products I’d created with Andy. So, here I am now delivering workshops to graduates and leaders.
I went into academia to teach, (that’s my gift), not to be a director – that came out of the blue. In four and a half years the senior leadership team transformed the college. Although I had a fantastic job serving and making influential changes, I got fewer opportunities to touch young people's lives. Andy’s course gave me the chance to return to working directly with people and transform their lives. That's why I left academia.
I’ve set up a group, called The Northern Leading Lights Academy, a forum for leaders to access information and practical engagement and application of leadership. It's about teaching people how to improve their lives as individuals or when working with others, or how to lead organisations or new organisational initiatives.
My target market is corporates seeking graduate programmes that include influencing skills, improvement techniques and implementation tools so that their young people can impact immediately on the organisation. And I’m now getting more requests to work with existing leadership teams. Today’s business environment is more challenging than when I was an apprentice. People have to hit the ground running and organisations have to reduce costs.
What essential steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Jo: First I had to acknowledge, early on that I'm different and I don't do what other people do. I was an academically gifted child, but I knew I wanted something other than go to college. At the age of fourteen I spent a week in the maintenance department of an engineering company with about twenty men because I wanted to do something different, although I wasn't sure what that was. The organisation asked that I apply for an apprentice position, 12 months later. At 16, I left school to work there. I worked really hard and after two years, having completed an electrical engineering course, I was sponsored to get my university degree. I would work for the company in different departments during my holidays, which provided insight into how an organisation operates.
At the age of 23 I graduated and returned to the company running my own production line. I was probably their youngest manager. I learned a lot, and I was then exposed to organisational improvement. We brought in trainers to help us develop the Lean Principles that the local Nissan factory was adopting. And I became fascinated with Business Improvement Techniques.
After two years I left and joined a Nissan supplier called Vantec Europe Ltd and spent twelve years learning about logistics whilst implementing improvements. I got to work on the customer side too doing consultancy for other organisations. I was about 27, in charge of logistics operations for manufacturing companies and doing consultancy.
The one really essential step that I took was when I worked in America for three years as the quality lead on a major project, developing a system for an engine plant. It was my first real experience of working for myself, and I realised that I wanted to do this in the longer term.
What was your greatest challenge?
Jo: I’d love to say that my greatest challenge was working in a male dominated field. But it wasn't.
It was learning that I couldn't have children and overcoming the challenges that it presented. When faced with infertility and unable to leave a legacy, I lost my identity and my confidence. Women should be able to have children naturally, so knowing that I couldn’t, made me question everything about myself. If I couldn't have children then what was my life purpose?
My mom answered the question before she died. She said, ‘You don't have to be a biological mother to make a difference to young people's lives’. And although I couldn't have kids, I could help other people's kids. That conversation was the catalyst that drove me into teaching because I desperately wanted to make a difference to young people's lives; and if I couldn't do it with one kid, then I could do it with many.
What was your greatest lightbulb moment?
Jo: My greatest lightbulb moment happened in February this year, during a conversation with Tony Robbins’ vocal coach, Edwin Coppard, who has now passed away. He was recommended after I did Andy Harrington's Elite Professional Speakers course.
One evening Edwin and I were talking about spiritual healing. He asked if my mother was still alive and how she felt about my success in my demanding job as a college director. When I said that she died five years earlier, he replied, ‘She’s here in spirit right now”. I said my mom was sad. She didn't want me to work such long hours and be stressed even for a purpose as great as working with young people. She wanted me to be happy. And I wasn’t living my passion. The next day I resigned.
The last few months have been unbelievable. I'm now living the life that I should have lived a while ago, but was too afraid. Huge respect and gratitude to Edwin because he stopped the pattern.
What resource has been crucial to your success?
Jo: It has to be my networks, which are my net worth. Not only have I got a greater network due to engaging with Andy’s PSA, but I now understand the value of increasing it. So, since leaving the college I've joined several entrepreneurial networks which have provided collaboration and speaking opportunities, new business and contacts for delivering leadership workshops. And there’s a potential opportunity to deliver leadership training to graduates over a two-year period. This is huge as I've only been delivering these for six months. And I've made connections with local and academic institutes in relation to an app I'm creating.
What do you understand by leadership?
Jo: For many people, leadership is focused around getting other people to do what we want. It's ultimately, about creating a shared vision and taking people with you. Many people interpret that as leaders changing people's behavior. But I don't think so. Yes, influencing others is in there, but it has to start with you the person. So, from a leadership point of view the only way I can influence individuals is through my own behavior. What I teach people is first to consider their own behaviour because this is what impacts on how people around them behave. So, for example, treat someone with respect and model it and they'll respect you back. If you treat someone like shit, they'll mirror that back to you.
I don't differentiate between women and men leaders. I disagree with the notion that women are more emotionally intelligent and empathetic. I've seen incredible men leaders who were tuned in emotionally. It's about the person, not the sex. There are corrupt women leaders and great men leaders. So, I teach women and men exactly the same about how they behave.
I started and led in a male dominated environment. I've also worked in women dominated areas. And I’ve seen sexist women with men running scared. So, I see leadership being about the person rather than the gender.
What are your top three tips for women who want to be leaders in their field?
Jo: My mom used to say, ‘Take anything but the no’, i.e. if you’re given an opportunity, take it. And if you don't know how to do it, learn how to do it. I've got loads of examples in my career when I didn't stop to think about saying no.
Opportunities enable you to learn new things. So, whether positive, or negative, that learning makes you a better person. If it doesn't work then you'll discover something about yourself that you can improve. If it works then it might lead to the next promotion.
People often ask how to make the right decision. There’s no right or wrong, only decisions made with the right intention. So, tip two is always make decisions with the right intention. If you look in the mirror and you’re happy with the person you see because of the decisions you’ve made, then you know that you’ve made them with integrity and the right intention.
Tip three is discover who you are and be you. For years I was told to be less emotional, more authoritative, and to lower my perfectionist expectations. But some of my greatest moments have been when I’ve been my authentic self, and I’ve demanded high standards from my team and myself in delivering excellence to those we serve. Being me has been the key to my leadership success.
If I could have advised my younger self, I would say ‘find a good mentor – male or female’ and a strong, trustful network with people to bounce ideas off and talk things through, as leadership can be a lonely role.
To find out more about Jo and Jo Corbishley Leadership Ltd, click here. And to hear her TedX talk on 'The Power of Three Words' click here.
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